Transfer device on metal peeling machines

ABSTRACT

A workpiece transfer device on metal peeling machines, having pairs of driven rolls adapted for rotating opposite to each other and for adjustable radial movement in relation to the workpiece by means of double acting pistons. The rolls are frame mounted and the latter are connected together by mechanical coupling elements.

United States Patent Week June 12, 1973 [54] TRANSFER DEVICE ON METALPEELING [56] References Cited MACHINES UNITED STATES PATENTS [75]Inventor: Karl Gustav Week, Solingen-Wald, 2,796,781 6/1957 Mills 1.226/176 X Germany 3,263,284 8/1966 Orr et al. 226/176 X 3,647,127 3 1972W" 226 177 [7 3] Assignee: Th. Kieserling & Albrecht Company, l I

solmgen Germany Primary ExaminerAllen N. Knowles {22] Filed: Nov. 15,1971 Attorney-Edward E. Sachs 21 Appl. No; 198,893

[57] ABSTRACT A workpiece transfer device on metal peeling ma- [30]Forelgn Apphcatlon Pnomy Data chines, having pairs of driven rollsadapted for rotating NOV. 13, 1970 Germany P 20 55 888.7 pp to eachother and for adjustable radial move ment in relation to the workpieceby means of double [52] US. Cl. 226/177 acting pistmm The rolls areframe mounted and the [51] Int. Cl B65h 17/22 are connected together b hical coupling ele- [58] Field of Search 226/176, 177, 181, ments 4Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 4 Shuts-Shut 1 F/Ci/ INVENTOR mam. eusmv wEcnarr/44 4:

ATTO'RNE Y Patented June 12, 1973 4 Shoots-Shoot 2 .INVENTOR KARL GUSTAVwco ATTORNEY Patented June 12, 1973 3,738,557

4. Shoots-Shoat 5 21 22 li I55 Q GT Q Q C) 1 CD INVENTOR KARL GUSTAVWECK all/40;

ATTORNEY Patented June 12, 1973 4 Shuts-Shut 4 IM/BVTOR KARL GUSTAV WECKATTORNEY TRANSFER DEVICE ON METAL FEELING MACHINES The invention relatesgenerally to metal peeling machines and, more particularly, to atransfer device thereon, for feeding and removing elongated material, orsections thereof, such as bars or pipes.

In peeling machines it is necessary that the workpieces are clampedcentrally in relation to the blade circle and moved forward. Attemptshave been made to accomplish this in many ways. In one known device, thedriven rolls are mounted in double levers, the free ends of which areconnected by links to a compression rod acted upon by a compressionspring for the purpose of applying the necessary clamping force. Thecompression rod is movable in a sleeve, having at its outer end athreaded section on which an adjusting screw is seated. One end of thecompression spring rests against this adjusting screw, while the otherend bears against the compression-rod guide sleeve. The spring may bepre-loaded by turning the adjusting screw appropriately. The outer endof the compression rod passes through a manual lever which serves as anabutment therefor. Moving the lever against the force of the springopens the rolls, the roll holders being moved in opposite directions.This type of knee-action clamping device for drive rolls has thedisadvantage that the force of the spring is not sufficient toaccommodate large clamping forces. However, even when the compressionrod is actuated by a double-acting piston, there is the disadvantagethat the clamping force is applied through the coupling elements andthat the roll carriers must rotate in an exact manner centrallyabout thedrive shafts of the pinions which are fixed to the rolls.

Also known is an arrangement in which the driven roll of each pair ofrolls may be moved towards and away from the workpiece, while rotatingin opposite directions, by means of two double-acting pistons. Apartfrom the fact that each roll carrier must have its own cylinder-pistondrive, the roll carriers in this case must also be arranged in such amanner that they may pivot about the central axis of the drive shafts ofthe pinions by means of which the rolls are driven. In order to achievesynchronization, the roll carriers are connected by means of links to asliding block movable in a guide parallel with the workpiece. Due tostructural complexities the approach is economically not feasible.

In order to overcome the disadvantages of the above described prior artdevices, it is provided, according to the invention, that one of thecarriers of each pair of rolls be connected directly to the piston rod,while the other carrier is connected by tie-rods to the cylinder of thepiston, the cylinder and the carrier being hinged by means of links to adisc arranged to rotate in the bed of the machine.

The disc is connected to two studs arranged equidistant from the centerof rotation of the disc, for accom modating the ends of the links. Theadvantage of this design and arrangement of the coupling elements issuch that only one double-acting piston is needed to ensure exactcounter-rotating motion of the rolls and car riers of each pair ofrolls; moreover, the necessary clamping forces are not applied throughthe coupling elements.

In one preferred form of the invention, the tie-rods also act as guidesfor one of the holders.

It is therefore the primary object of the invention to provide aneconomic transfer device for a peeling machine which rotates in oppositedirections, and may be moved radially towards or away from the workpieceby means of a single cylinder-piston drive, with no clamping forcesbeing applied to the coupling elements.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with otherand further objects thereof, reference is bad to the followingdescription taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings, and itsscope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic side elevational view of a metal peelingmachine having a transfer device according to the invention located infront and to the rear of a cutter head;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view partly in longitudinal section, of atransfer device;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-B of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line C-D of FIG. 3, illustratingthe coupling elements.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 part of apeeling machine 40 provided with pairs of transfer rolls 2, 3 in frontand to the rear of a rotating peeling head, not illustrated. These rolls2, 3 are effective to transfer the required input and output forces to atypical workpiece 1 which is to be moved. The rolls are similar inconstruction and mode of operation, with the top roll 2 and bottom roll3 being securely mounted on shafts 6 and 7 respectively, see FIGS. 2 to4. The shafts 6 and 7 are driven, in a manner not shown, by cardanshafts 4, 5 respectively, with shaft 6 being rotatably mounted in anupper carrier 10 by means of roller bearings 8, 9, in a manner notpermitting axial displacement. The shaft 7 is rotatably mounted in abottom carrier 13 on roller bearings 11, 12 and is also not displaceableaxially. The top carrier 10 is rigidly connected to a rod 14a ofdouble-acting piston 14. The piston rod 14a and the opposite end thereof14b are adapted to slide in cylinder heads 15a, 15b of cylinder 15. Theaxial end of top piston rod 14b is extended forming a threaded pin forcarrying and adjusting nut to limit the stroke.

Attached to bottom cylinder head 15a are a pair of parallel spacedtie-rods 18, 19, the bottom ends of which are screwed onto carrier 13.The central portions of the tie-rods serve as guides for carrier 10,while the bottom ends thereof are provided with extensions 18a, 19aextending into bed 20 of the machine. Afiixed to the upper cylinder head15b is a pin 21 (see FIG. 4) on the free end of which a link 22 ispivotably secured. The opposite end 22a of the link is rigidly attachedto a stud 23 which in turn is mounted to rotate in discs 24a, 2412, seeFIG. 3, eccentrically relative to the center of rotation 24. The discs24a, 24b are rotatably mounted in frame 20 and are adapted to rotatablyreceive, equidistant from their common center of rotation 24, and at alocation opposite to stud end 23, a stud 25 which is rigidly secured, toan end 26a of a second link 26. The lever end 26b of link 26 isrotatably mounted on the free end of a pin 27 attached to carrier 10.

The transfer device operates as follows.

A pressure medium, such as hydraulic fluid, is fed to the lower chamberof cylinder 15 through a conduit 28, see FIG. 2, the pressure mediumcausing piston 14 to move upwards and cylinder 15 to move downward. Thiscauses carrier 10, which is directly connected to piston rod 14a, toalso move upward and carrier 13, connected to cylinder 15 by tie-rods18, 19, to move downward. Therefore, rolls 2 and 3 move apart from eachother into an open position. The movement of the piston continues untilthe top surface thereof abuts cylinder head 15b. The stroke in thisdirection is therefore not adjustable. When rolls 2 and 3 have reachedtheir open position, workpiece l is placed between them.

Moving a control valve in a manner known per se, and therefore notillustrated, causes the pressure medium to pass through conduit 29 tothe upper cylinder chamber. This causes piston 14 to move downwards andcylinder 15 to move upwards. The two carriers and 13, and the rolls 2, 3mounted therein, then move towards each other until they engage theworkpiece 1. Since rolls 2 and 3 are driven and therefore rotate, theworkpiece is moved forward in the direction of rotation of the rolls, assoon as the rolls have been biased sufficiently against the workpiece.Each stroke of piston 14 and cylinder 15 produces a correspondingpositive movement of the coupling elements comprising links 22,26 discs24a,24b, studs 23,25 and pins 21,27. This ensures completely uniformadjusting and opening movements of carriers l0, l3, and the workpiece istherefore accurately centered in relation to the cutter head of thepeeling machine. The coupling elements thus transfer only minorfrictional forces, the actual clamping forces being transferreddirectly, through piston rod 14a and tie-rods 18, 19 to carriers 10, 13and to rolls 2, 3.

The movement of rolls 2, 3 towards each other may be limited by means ofan adjusting nut 16.

While there have been described-what are at present considered to be thepreferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the invention, and it is aimed,therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a metal peeling machine having a transfer device for passingworkpieces through the peeling head, said transfer device comprising:

a pair of rolls, having an upper and a lower roll arranged for radialmovement relative to the workpiece;

a first and a second carrier, each thereof supporting a roll;

a double acting piston having a piston rod connecting to the firstcarrier;

a cylinder housing said piston;

tie rod means connected at one end to the second carrier and at theopposite end to said cylinder;

rotatably disposed disc means;

and linking means articulatedly connecting said disc to said cylinderand to said first carrier.

2. In a peeling machine according to claim 1, wherein said linking meanscomprises two linking elements, one common end of each element beingsecured to said disc in spaced relation to each other and equidistantfrom the center of rotation of said disc.

3. In a peeling machine according to claim 1, wherein said tie rod meansincludes two spaced tie rods extending through said first carrier.

4. In a peeling machine accordingto claim 3, wherein said tie rods areeffective to guide the movement of said first carrier.

1. In a metal peeling machine having a transfer device for passingworkpieces through the peeling head, said transfer device comprising: apair of rolls, having an upper and a lower roll arranged for radialmovement relative to the workpiece; a first and a second carrier, eachthereof supporting a roll; a double acting piston having a piston rodconnecting to the first carrier; a cylinder housing said piston; tie rodmeans connected at one end to the second carrier and at the opposite endto said cylinder; rotatably disposed disc means; and linking meansarticulatedly connecting said disc to said cylinder and to said firstcarrier.
 2. In a peeling machine according to claim 1, wherein saidlinking means comprises two linking elements, one common end of eachelement being secured to said disc in spaced relation to each other andequidistant from the center of rotation of said disc.
 3. In a peelingmachine according to claim 1, wherein said tie rod means includes twospaced tie rods extending through said first carrier.
 4. In a peelingmachine according to claim 3, wherein said tie rods are effective toguide the movement of said first carrier.